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The Indiana Supreme Court is considering whether to establish a minimum in-person requirement for continuing legal education, and it wants public feedback on the question.
Lawyers must complete 36 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) every three years to maintain their law licenses, according to Rule 29 of the Supreme Court’s Rules for Admission and Discipline.
Since 2022, all of those hours of education have been available online, according to the Indiana Judicial Branch website.
Both the Supreme Court and the Indiana State Bar Association have been hearing from lawyers about whether they’d be in favor of the change. Comments may be submitted to the Supreme Court until noon, Jan. 8, 2027.
“Most people like keeping things the way they are,” Indiana Bar Association President Derrick Wilson said, describing responses from lawyers.
Wilson said CLE is how lawyers stay up to date on legislative changes as well as various tricks of the trade. He also noted that in-person sessions provide opportunities for lawyers to connect with each other.
“I think the (Supreme) Court is looking at this as ‘Hey, we want lawyers to be interacting more. That gives them a better sense of camaraderie,’” he said. “A lot of people think live CLE is superior to remote. People are more engaged.”
However, building those connections can come at the expense of convenience. Lawyers from all over Indiana may have to travel to Indianapolis, which could take a lot of time and money.
“I’m in New Albany. If I want to do a lot of live CLE, I’m going to have to drive two hours to Indy,” Wilson said.
That could be difficult for lawyers from smaller communities with fewer resources, he said.
Some community bar associations are hoping the in-person proposal will take root so they can use it to draw lawyers into their ranks.
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